Collective identity

 Task 1: Media Magazine article

1) Read the article and summarise each section in one sentence, starting with the section 'Who are you?'

-Whether we use fashion statements, hairstyles, make-up or indeed make an active decision not to do any of those  things, we are all involved in constructing an image to communicate our identity. We have complex ideas about ourselves; there is a difference between the person we think we are, the person we want to be and the person we want to be seen to be. A significant influence on our ideas of self-image is the context of the culture that surrounds us.

-How we perceived ourselves and how we presented ourselves was based on thes ocial constructs that defined the interpersonal relationships within the groups we found ourselves in.

-During the second  half of the 20th century, people began defining  themselves as individuals, and so wanted to  express their ‘difference’ and ‘uniqueness’; they  were empowered by being encouraged to ‘be  themselves’. 

-2) Do you agree with the view that modern media is all about 'style over substance'? What does this expression mean?

Style over substance means that the media text focuses on the looks and style rather than the content like the plot of a film. I agree that there are modern media texts that do have style over substance however, I don't believe that is the majority that is coming out at the moment.

3) Explain Baudrillard's theory of 'media saturation' in one paragraph. You may need to research it online to find out more.

He describes that posits that modern society is so overwhelmed by media images, signs and simulations that thee distinctions between reality and representations has collapsed.

4) Is your presence on social media an accurate reflection of who you are? Have you ever added or removed a picture from a social media site purely because of what it says about the type of person you are? 

I rarely post on social media but they aren't a full representation of my life.

5) What is your opinion on 'data mining'? Are you happy for companies to sell you products based on your social media presence and online search terms? Is this an invasion of privacy?
I think it is useful if the person being advertised to is aware that their data has been used.

Task 2: Media Magazine cartoon

Now read the cartoon in MM62 (p36) that summarises David Gauntlett’s theories of identity. Write five simple bullet points summarising what you have learned from the cartoon about Gauntlett's theories of identity. Our Media Magazine archive is here.

• Wrote about representations of identity in the mass media and promotes the view that audiences use the media to help construct their own identities.
• Audiences actively process the media they consume and they can enjoy the entertainment value whilst recognising the representations as flawed or unrealistic.
•  Identity is not a fixed ideal, but a fluid, constantly evolving process influenced by the diverse media, social contexts, everyday creative practices people consume.
• Modern media offers a larger range of identities compared to the past, moving away from "traditional" stereotypes to more complex representations of gender, sexuality, etc.

Task 3: Representation & Identity: Factsheet blog task

1) What is collective identity? Write your own definition in as close to 50 words as possible.
A collective identity is the values, traditions and understanding of the world shared by a group of individuals.

2) How does James May's Top Toys offer a nostalgic representation of Britain?

Being targeted at a slightly older audience means that the toys also become metaphors for the sense of Britishness that May explores, that of ‘nostalgia’ or a feeling / longing for the past where life was perceived to be simpler.

3) How has new technology changed collective identity?

In other words, technology has enabled people to actively engage with the content of the culture around them and then go on to use it as resources for their own cultural productions. The creation of such video hosting websites such as YouTube means the traditional passive audience can now write original stories or songs about the shows they view, make art or costumes based on the films they watch, edit videos or produce film parodies or do podcasts, develop websites or engage in a broad range of other expressive practices.

4) What phrase does David Gauntlett (2008) use to describe this new focus on identity? 

‘Make and Connect Agenda’

5) How does the Shaun of the Dead Facebook group provide an example of Henry Jenkins' theory of interpretive communities online?

The creation of this group conforms to the following ‘repeated’ view from Henry Jenkins: ‘fan genres grew out of openings or excesses within the text that were built on and stretched, and that it was not as if fans and texts were autonomous from each another; fans created their own, new texts, but elements within the originating text defined, to some degree, what they could do’.